A Z to
Guide to the past, present and future of ‘streets’
Content page
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z .
Guide to reading
3
Principles of ideal street design
4
Historical perspective
5
Street distinctions
6
Positive outcomes of good street
7
5 principle functions
8
Street type matrix
9
Who owns London’s streets?
10
Hierarchies on street
11
Street character
12
Place
13
Movement
14
Access
15
Parking
16
Drainage, utilities, street lighting
17
Community, street and inhabitation
18
What makes a high quality street
29
What really makes a high quality future street
30
Secured by design
31
Elements of space - Design
32
Death of the high street
33
The neglected ‘place’
34
Place and interaction
35
Shared space
36
New high street system
37
Softer Elements of a street
38
Possibilities
39
Main literature
40
How to read
A
Content ‘number’
*Does not necessarily correspond with Theme spelling, but merely a method of listing
Historical Perspective
Theme/Title
Most historic places owe their layout to their original function. Towns have grown up around a market place, a bridgehead or a harbour; villages were formed according to the pattern of farming and the ownership of the land. The layouts catered mostly for movement on foot. The era of motorised transport has, superficially at least, removed the constraint that kept urban settlements compact and walkable.
Thoughts, Introduction of new means of news, design transport as a milestone in the development of the street. First the motorcar, now autonomous vehicles/ new mobility products. Recently, Singapore has made it mandatory for e-scooter users to pass a theory test (similar to drivers) and be of at least 16 years old to ride on cycling paths
References/ Introduction of new means of footnotes transport as a milestone in the development of the street. First the motorcar, now autonomous vehicles/ new mobility products.
When the regulation of roads and streets began, spread of fire was the main concern. Subsequently health came to the forefront and the classic 11m wide bye-law street was devised as a means of ensuring the passage of air in densely built-up areas. Later, the desire to guarantee that sunshine would get to every house led to the requirement for a 21m separation between house fronts, and this shaped many developments from the 1920s onwards.
Main Content
It was not until after WWII and particularly with the dramatic increase in car ownership from the 1960s onwards, that traffic considerations came to dominate road design.
This document presents the A-Zs of the street, past, present and future. The findings are accumulative and directly impacts the project developments.
3
A
Principles of Ideal Street Design
Manual for streets: • Places people at the heart of the design process • Acknowledges diversity and differences • Offers choice where a single solution cannot accommodate all users • Provides for flexibility in use • Provides buildings and environments that are convenient and enjoyable to use for everyone Streetscape Guidance: • Moving: help people, goods and services get from A to B, by enabling more efficient and reliable movement for a range of transport modes •Living: provide welcoming and inclusive places which support economic, cultural and community activities • Unlocking: improve accessibility, connectivity and quality of major growth areas to support the delivery of new homes, jobs, and economic sectors that London needs as it grows. • Functioning: ensure essential access for deliveries and servicing, and upgrade utilities to better serve London’s growing needs and foster a digital city, • Protecting: improve safety and ensure that streets are secure • Sustaining: reduce road network emissions and support clean, green initiatives for a healthier and more active city.
It is important to ensure that space is clearly delineated as public or private. Ambiguous ownership promotes under-use and are a maintenance burden.
See ‘X’ for domains of privacy as set out by Serge Chermayeff and Christopher Alexander in Community and Privacy: Towards a New Architecture of Humanism
4
B
Historical Perspective
Most historic places owe their layout to their original function. Towns have grown up around a market place, a bridgehead or a harbour; villages were formed according to the pattern of farming and the ownership of the land. The layouts catered mostly for movement on foot. The era of motorised transport has, superficially at least, removed the constraint that kept urban settlements compact and walkable.
Introduction of new means of transport as a milestone in the development of the street. First the motorcar, now autonomous vehicles/ new mobility products. Recently, Singapore has made it mandatory for e-scooter users to pass a theory test (similar to drivers) and be of at least 16 years old to ride on cycling paths
When the regulation of roads and streets began, spread of fire was the main concern. Subsequently health came to the forefront and the classic 11m wide bye-law street was devised as a means of ensuring the passage of air in densely built-up areas. Later, the desire to guarantee that sunshine would get to every house led to the requirement for a 21m separation between house fronts, and this shaped many developments from the 1920s onwards. It was not until after WWII and particularly with the dramatic increase in car ownership from the 1960s onwards, that traffic considerations came to dominate road design.
Emergence of motorcar changed streets fundamentally. The increase in new mobility products, autonomous vehicles and ride-share services are changing how people see and experience the streets. However, the environmental cost, social isolation, crisis of inactivity and physical disconnection brought about by some transportation technologies do not correlate with the ideal city. How would the future street be interpreted and used? How would the change in streetscape affect inhabitation on a private, community and city scale?
What is the Future Street?
5
C
Street Distinctions - post WWII
1. Distributor roads, designed for movement, where pedestrians were excluded or, at best, marginalised 2. Access roads, designed to serve buildings, where pedestrians were accommodated. Streets through buildings: arcade, possible drive through, autonomous vehicles + pedestrian? or still a separated circulation?
This led to layouts where buildings were set in the space between streets rather than on them, and where movement on foot and by vehicle was segregated, sometimes using decks, bridges or subways. May development constructed using such layouts have had significant social problems and have either been demolished or undergone major regeneration. This approach to network planning limited multi-functional streets to the most lightly-trafficked routes. This has led to development patterns where busy distributor roads link relatively small cells of housing. such layouts are not conducive to anything but the shortest of trips on foot or by bicycle.
6
D
Positive Outcomes of Good Streets
1. Attractive and well-connected permeable street networks encourage more people to walk and cycle to local destinations, improving their health while reducing motor traffic, energy use and pollution1. 2. More people on the streets leads to improved personal security and road safety -- research shows that the presence of pedestrians on streets causes drivers to travel more slowly2.
1. Snellen, D (1999) The relationship between urban form and activity patterns. In Proceedings of the European Transport conference, Cambridge, 1999. London PTRC. pp 429-439 2. ODPM and Home Office (2004) Safer Places: The Planning System and Crime Prevention. London: TSO.
3. People meeting one another on a casual basis strengthens communities and encourages a sense of pride in local environments 4. people who live in good quality environments are more likely to have a sense of ownership of their local streets and public spaces.
7
E
5 Principal Functions
1. Place
See ‘J’
2. Movement
See ‘K’
3. Access
See ‘L’
4. Parking
See ‘M’
5. Drainage, Utilities, Street Lighting
See ‘N’
Placemaking
Circulation
Moving in the space Interpreting the space Personal safety Feeling comfortable Sense of place Opportunity for activity
Permeability Legibility Maintenance Quality of environment
8
F
Street Type Matrix
A method to categorize streets. The process uses a series of workshops to consider the ‘movement’ and ‘place’ functions of each road separately. These are then combined and each road is classified according to nine street types. The aim is to help planners understand how a street is used and the movement through it. They can then work together to make sure customers get a consistent level of service on TFL and borough roads, whether they are travelling by foot, bicycle, bus or car.
M3 Movement
P1
P3
P2 eg
High Road
Core Road
eg
M2
M2 P1
eg
M3
M3
eg
M2 P3
P2
M1
Local Street
eg
eg
M1 P2
P1
City Street
High Street
eg
Connector
M1
City Hub
P3
Town Square
eg
City Place
eg
Place
9
G
Who owns London’s Streets?
5% 95% Transport For London (TFL)
Local borough councils
10
H
Hierarchies on the Street
User Hierarchy
Pedestrians Cyclists Legend:
Public transport users
Consider first
Specialist service vehicles (e.g. emergency service, waste, etc)
Consider Last
Other motor traffic
Hierarchy of provision
Consider First
Consider Last
Pedestrians
Cyclist
Traffic volume reduction Traffic speed reduction Reallocation of road space to pedestrians
Traffic volume reduction Traffic speed reduction Junction treatment, hazard site treatment, traffic management Cycle tracks away from roads
Provision of direct at-grade crossings, improved pedestrian routes on existing desire lines New pedestrian alignment or grade separation
Conversion of footways/footpaths to adjacent*or shared-use routes for pedestrians and cyclist
* Adjacent use routes are those where the cyclists are segregated from pedestrians
Maximum Minimum
Minor streets, eg. Mews 1 : 1.5 Typical streets 1 : 3 Squares 1 : 6
Level of Type of parking efficiency On-street
Off-street communal
1:1 1 : 1.5 1:4
Comments Most efficient as parking spaces are shared and the street provides means of access Requires additional access and
11
I
Street Character
High Street Main Street Shopping Street Mixed-use Street Avenue Boulevard Mews Lane Courtyard
12
J Place
Developments should look at the user hierarchy framework1 to increase the attractiveness of walking, cycling and use of public transport. This reduces traffic buildup. The idea of permeability is crucial in place-making. Auxiliary services should be directed away from main roads to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
1. See ‘H’ for hierarchy frameworks
Can shuttle buses be integrated in bigger neighbourhoods? How would the maintenance and funding of it be like?
Walkable neighbourhoods should have a range of facilities within 10 minutes (~800m) walking distance. A national minimum indicative density of 30 dwellings per hectare2 is encouraged as a certain critical mass of development is needed to justify services3 (e.g. bus).
2. DTLR and CABE (2001) Better Places to Live: By Design. A companion Guide to PPG3. London: Thomas Telford Ltd. 3.Communities and Local Government (2006) Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing. London: TSO
The ambiguous public private space of the front garden - the buffer zone that is neglected should be removed or reimagined with another purpose
The amenity value of front gardens tend to be lower when compared to back gardens and increased parking pressures on streets meant that many have converted their front gardens to hard standing for car parking.
Principles of place making/urban design 1. Character 2. Continuity and enclosure 3. Quality of public realm 4. Ease of movement 5. Legibility 6. Adaptability 7. Diversity 8. Layout 9. Landscape 10. Density and mix 11. Scale: height & massing 12. Appearance: detail & materials
By Design: Urban Design in the Planning System: Towards Better Practice
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K Movement
Layout of towns and cities have historically suited pedestrian movement and our concept of distances have changed since then with the advent of the automobile. See NB document of streets connecting spaces
Pedestrian networks need to connect to one another. Footbridges and subways should be avoided unless needed -- the level changes and increased distances are inconvenient. Uncontrolled crossings : created by dropping kerbs at intervals. A minimum frequency of 100m is recommended1 when there is an appreciable amount of pedestrian activity.
1. Department for Transport (2005) Inclusive Mobility: A Guide to Best Practice on Access to Pedestrian and Transport Infrastructure. London: Department for Transport.
Corner Radii on pedestrians & cyclists
• Pedestrian desire line deflected • Detour required to minimise crossing distance • Vehicles turn faster • Pedestrian to look further behind to check for turning vehicles • Pedestrian unable to normally establish priority against fast turning vehicles
• Pedestrian desire line (---) is maintained • Vehicles turn slowly • Pedestrian does not need to look further behind • Pedestrian can easily establish priority because vehicles turn slowly
• Danger from fast turning vehicles cutting across cyclists
•Cycle and car speeds compatible
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Consider First
L
Pedestrians
Cyclist
Traffic volume reduction Traffic speed reduction Reallocation of road space to pedestrians
Traffic volume reduction Traffic speed reduction Junction treatment, hazard site treatment, traffic management Cycle tracks away from roads
Access
Inclusive design should not just be about tactile tiles being substituted for normal tiles but about the difference in material as tactile clues to movement.
Provision of direct at-grade crossings, improved pedestrian routes on existing desire lines New pedestrian alignment or Conversion of grade separation footways/footpaths to Street design should in inclusive - regardless of age or ability. Consider adjacent or shared-use routes pedestrians and Local in for terms of placeLast distributor roads are often unsuccessful cyclist turns should be making in residential areas. Dead ends/ 3 point avoided unless necessary
Refer to : ‘Inclusive Mobility’, ‘The Principles of Inclusive Design’ and ‘Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces (1999)’
Maximum Minimum
Minor streets, eg. Mews 1 : 1.5 Typical streets 1 : 3 Squares 1 : 6
1:1 1 : 1.5 1:4
Carriageway widths and what they can accommodate
Level of Type of parking efficiency
Comments
On-street
Most efficient as parking spaces are shared and the street provides means of access Off-street communal Requires additional access and circulation space Off-street allocated Allows for future changes in spaces but grouped allocation Off-street allocated Inflexible, largely precludes garages away from sharing spaces. Security Widths between dwelling 2.75m and 3.25m should concerns be avoided as drivers could tryindividual to squeeze fast cyclists. Within Requires mode space due to dwelling curtilage the need for driveway, but most secure
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M Parking
Pedestrians
Cyclist
Consider Traffic volume reduction Traffic speed reduction Bicycle First Reallocation of road space to Private pedestrians Public
Which category should new mobility services be in - bicycles or cars or hand carried into buildings? The future street will react differently in terms of parking systems. Asia in particular, feature many standalone multistory car parks. Seoul in particular uses many mechanised aboveground carparking system.
Traffic volume reduction TrafficCars speed reduction Junction treatment, hazard site treatment, traffic Private Public management Provision of direct at-grade Cycle tracks away from • Well-overlooked areas • Availability of car parking is a crossings, improved roads • Above/ underground storage determinant of travel mode. pedestrian routes on existing • Located clear of pedestrian • Car club schemes to reduce car desire lines desire lines, closer to ownership New pedestrian alignment or Conversion of carriageway than buildings • Ride share services/ scooters/ grade separation footways/footpaths to • Min bike stand spacing = Segway Consider adjacent or shared-use 800mm routes for pedestrians and Last cyclist
Refer to : ‘Inclusive Mobility’, ‘The Principles of Inclusive Design’ and ‘Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces (1999)’
On-street Parking Positive • Common resource - residents and visitors • Adds activity • Well overlooked Minor streets, eg. Mews •Likely to be well-used • Allows creationTypical of areas streets within perimeter blocks that areSquares car free
Level of Type of parking efficiency On-street
Off-street communal Off-street allocated spaces but grouped Off-street allocated garages away from dwelling Within individual dwelling curtilage
Negative • Safety problem if traffic speeds are high and few pedestrian Maximum Minimum crossing •1Undermine street : 1.5 1 : character 1 • Foot-way parking 1 : 3 1 : 1.5 • Indiscriminate parking may 1 : 6 access 1 : 4 block •Vulnerable to opportunistic crime
Comments Most efficient as parking spaces are shared and the street provides means of access Requires additional access and circulation space Allows for future changes in allocation Inflexible, largely precludes sharing spaces. Security concerns Requires mode space due to the need for driveway, but most secure 16
N
Drainage, Utilities, Street Lighting, etc
Furniture
Street furniture encourage human activity as well as contribute to a sense of place. However, excess utility should be provided to reduced cluttering.
Lighting
Maintenance responsibilities 4m< x, maintenance rest with lighting authority x>4m, highway lighting, maintenance rest with highway authority. Generally in residential areas, street lighting of 5-6m are most appropriate. Le Corbusier in Ville Contemporaine: The modern street is a new type of organism, a home for many complicated and delicate organs, such as gas, water and electric mains. The modern street should be a masterpiece of civil engineering.
Drainage
One of the functions of a street is to provide a route for foul water and surface water drainage. Besides its circulation and place-making role, the street is where most public utilities are located (water pipes, electricity grid, sewage etc) Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) is preferred over conventional drainage methods as they protect/enhance water quality, sympathetic to environmental settings, provide a habitat for wildlife and encourage natural groundwater recharge.
Planting
Planting aids in place-making, softens the street scene, improve micro-climate and provide wildlife diversity. A continued concern being expressed is the impact that tree roots have on highway drainage. Planting can also be used to reduce vehicle speeds in specific areas e.g. residential streets. Trees along highway at Newhall, Harlow helps reduce vehicle speeds
Detailed advice on this issue is contained in Communities and Local Government (2006): Tree Roots in the Built Environment. London: TSO
London Plane is the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most common tree. It grows up to 35m and has a long lifespan. It is valued for its ability to adapt to urban conditions and its resistance to pollution.
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O
Community, Street and Inhabitation
Adapted from ‘The Form of Housing’ by Neave Brown, Brown writes that continuity is the inescapable characteristic of housing. Housing, or inhabitation, is not just a collection of houses, but rather, the concepts which hold it together -- the circulation system which holds the area together and establish contact. This circulation system refers to ‘streets’. ‘Only a web, a continuous texture of contacts, can provide the immediacy and proximity of each house to its sustaining environment’. When trying to re-imagine Alexandra Road estate, the focus was brought to its brick red road.
This main thoroughfare had much to with the estate’s identity, way of life, community spirit, manner of inhabitation, criticism and praises.
REIMAGINING Alexandra is a playable toolkit for the investigation into the relationship between the ‘street’ and inhabition inthe listed Alexandra Road Estate by Neave Brown.
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NB A condensed guide to Neave Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideas on housing & community.
from:
The Form of Housing Neave Brown
On the built environment in general
New and old must exist side by side, both assuming similar relationship to the reorganised circulation systems on which both depend.
our economic suitation is unlikely to allow us to conceive of house as ephemera, what we do now with both old and new is here to stay
on existing models and flexibility
19th century terrace houses aligned parallel to the streets are the most successful mode. Even at its worst, it produced a certain immediacy of relationship between house and neighbourhood.
Systems such as 18th century terrace house can cater to all types with only minimal and essential differences in form. (flexibility)
on post war housing
English post war housing : unspecified open space as ground for new urban pattern
ideas of street, neighbourliness and continuity is brought back by the Smithsons in Golden Lane project.
reaction to high rise living
living high is bad, living low in a high block is no better
low rise housing
a characteristic difficulty is the ordering and structuring of the pedestrian route, without systematic control, they easily degenerate into a maze of alleys, susceptible to abuse.
on typology for housing
housing is an unsuitable material for physically prominent buildings as it is composed of a vast agregate of small cells.
sequences which require immediacy of contact: house to private open space, house to communal open space, house to pedestrian system, to car parking, to attendant functions, with a continuity of ease of movement seem to favour horizontal organisation rather than vertical
only a web, a continuous texture of contacts, can provide the immediacy and proximity of each house to its sustaining envrionment.
key points on housing
housing is the most extensive single element of the city
Continuity is the inescapable characteristic of housing
Housing is not just a collection of houses. It is the concepts which hold it together - the circulation system which hold the area together and establish contact
Peter Tabori
public semi-public semi-private private
Serge Chermayeff & Christopher Alexander
public private
Neave Brown
on domains on privacy
urban public urban semi-public group public group private family private individual private
Winscombe St
5 houses with a street
Fleet Road
A community
Alexandra Road Estate
on his London works
A piece of city
P
What makes a high quality street?
Textbook answer for ‘high quality street’ gives off a sterile street feel, one that lacks distinct character. Does a clean, safe but character-less street makes it high quality? Can a place be character-less? Rem Koolhaas wrote about the generic city.
Pedestrian environment review system (PERS), a tool for measuring the quality of the pedestrian environment. • Dropped kerbs • Tactile paving and colour contrast • Smooth, clean, well-drained surfaces • High-quality materials • High standards of maintenance • Pavement width • No pinch points • No potential obstructions • Sufficient crossing points • Adequate traffic • Good lighting • Sense of security • No graffiti or litter • No signs of anti-social behaviour • Signage, landmarks, good sightlines • Public spaces along streets
PERS is an audit tool used to assess levels of service and quality provided across a range of pedestrian environment developed and used by Transport for London (TfL) and UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). Assessment is extensively used in UK and is now used in Australia as well.
Individual importance of each category >>>>
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Q
What REALLY makes a high quality FUTURE street?
Inclusive design should not just be about tactile tiles being substituted for normal tiles but about the difference in material as tactile clues to movement.
• Strong sense of identity • Visual stimulation • Smooth, clean, well-drained surfaces • Varied yet complementary materials • High standards of maintenance • Pavement width • Sufficient outdoor seating • No potential obstructions • Sufficient crossing points • Adequate traffic • Good lighting • Sense of security • Art/cultural scene • Mixture of uses: retail, residential, office, light industrial • Accessible signage • Variations in street width to cater to different uses
• Dropped kerbs • Tactile paving and colour contrast • Smooth, clean, well-drained surfaces • High-quality materials • High standards of maintenance • Pavement width • No pinch points • No potential obstructions • Sufficient crossing points • Adequate traffic • Good lighting • Sense of security • No graffiti or litter • No signs of anti-social behaviour • Signage, landmarks, good sightlines • Public spaces along streets
Refer to : ‘Inclusive Mobility’, ‘The Principles of Inclusive Design’ and ‘Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces (1999)’
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R Secured by Design
In the secured by design guideline, most recommended initiative means closing up/ fencing areas to create a clear boundary of private and public which i feel should not be the case. Appropriate design will be able to integrate or make clear the boundaries without erecting a physical barrier between people. Alexandra Road Estate has a 350m long through route that I sometimes wonder, is does it make the jobs of policemen tougher because there is a clear escape route, or easier as there are no obstructions. Alexandra Road Estate especially, promotes the idea of security by communal surveillance as living spaces and access are directed towards the street.
How does one determine if the space is used 24/7? Issue: The ‘backstreet’ in Alexandra Road Estate, as well as many other London streets only have certain attributes, but are definitely open to public 24/7. Deterrence by no lighting is dangerous if there are no other optional routes nearby.
Vehicular and pedestrian routes should be designed to ensure that they are visually open. Where it is desirable to limit access, change of road surface, pillars, brick piers or narrowing of carriageway may be used to define defensible space, psychologically giving the impression that the area beyond is private. While through routes are included in development layouts, the security of the development should not be compromised by excessive permeability. Surveillance of the street by residents within their homes and high levels of street activity are desirable and have proven to deter criminal behaviour. Benefits of cul-de-sacs can be compromised if it backs onto open land (railway, canal towpath etc) or are very deep/long, are poorly lit or linked to another by footpaths (leaky cul-de-sacs). Leaky cul-de-sacs experience 110% higher crime rates than in true cul-de-sacs.
Available research concluded that ‘neighbourhood permeability is one of the community level design features most directly linked to crime rates: more permeability, more crime. See: Taylour R B 2002 ‘Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design’
Defensible space should be created to separate a path and an elevation and street furniture should be carefully used to prevent anti-social behaviours. If a footpath is to be used 24/7, it should: be as straight as possible, wide, well lit, devoid of potential hiding places, overlooked by surrounding buildings and activities, well maintained. If it does not have the above attributes, its use should be deterred during the hours of darkness by not installing lighting. Communal areas and play spaces should be clearly defined and not immediately abut residential buildings. Fencing at a height of 1200mm can often discourage casual entry and reduce damage to equipment. External communal drying spaces should be enclosed and secured. Front boundaries are limited to a maximum height of 1m and rear boundaries require a minimum height of 1.8m. If in a high crime area, a privacy screen (min 1.8m) starting from the building projecting along the fence line for ~2m may be erected.
Alexandra Road Estate has many .
Windowless elevations and blank walls adjacent to public spaces should be avoided
31
S
Elements of Space - Design
The street can be dismantled into individual elements. These elements work together to create a space (street). There are two realms that make up the street as a whole - the physical and the intangible. Reimagining Alexandra looks at this elements from a physical point of view - structures that exist as physical forms. Elements that make up the spirit of the street can be regarded as feelings you get when walking down a street. Together, the two realms make up the character of the street. Just like how a person is made up of their physical aspects, as well as their personality.
Physical Elements of Space Residential Retail Nature Circulation Street Furniture Deployable Elements Non-Physical Elements of Space Intimacy Security Sparked Interest Sociable
Re:imagining Alexandra
Kilburn Slow Street
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T
Death of the highstreet
High streets have been affected by major changes in the past decades, and the speed of this change is increasing. Online shopping in particular has become significantly more popular than it was 10 years ago. Between 2007 and 2018, online sales increased 6-fold while growth of in-store sales has lagged behind. in 2000, online retail accounted for less than 1% of retail sales while in 2018, almost 20% of all retail sales took place online. Another term that runs parallel with the death of the high street phenomena is ‘retail apocalypse’. The retail apocalypse is the closing of brick-and-mortar retail stores, starting around 2010 onwards. This is largely due to changes in spending habits, a shift in experience-spending versus material goods and homes, and the rise of e-commerce such as Amazon.com, Ebay and Alibaba. Large retails such as Toys R Us, Motherhood and Karen Millen have since closed many of its physical stores. Arcadia Group, which owns chains including Topshop and Dorothy Perkins had to negotiate rent cuts as well. With a decrease in number of physical stores, could the leftover space be used for other purposes such as housing to combat the housing crisis? Or perhaps a more community inclusive program or infrastructure?
In addition to the current situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of businesses, especially those relying largely on its physical stores have felt the strain. The aftermath of the pandemic will definitely affect the way retail will be looked at -- is physical retail a necessity? With the convenience of deliveries, try-and-returns, perhaps we should rethink what the new retail experience is, and consequently how this affect what we know as the ‘highstreet’.
Refer to : Office for National Statistics and Policy paper of the Future High Street Fund published 29 Oct 2018.
Refer to : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/06/ high-street-crisis-big-names-joblosses-store-closures
U The neglected ‘place’
Although as mentioned previously, the ‘street’ has two main purposes -- place and circulation, the ‘place’ aspect has been largely ignored. Take the ‘highstreet’ for example -- most highstreets do not have a strong identity, merely a main road with shops flanking it. Is there sufficient gathering space or street furniture for people to relax and socialize? No, for the fear of the homeless taking over, for the fear of vandalism, for the fear of it turning into a gathering spot for troublesome youths. The important question would then be: How can the street be re-looked at?
The structure of the highstreet.
Perhaps, the emphasis on circulation and efficiency has eroded values of place. Parks and squares have a stronger ‘place’ as compared to streets mainly because they encourage deceleration, physically and mentally. A momentarily distraction from the face paced lifestyle many have come to be used to. To do so, perhaps we should look at the inherent structure of the highstreet to nip the problem at its roots.
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V Place & Interaction
One method of enhancing the value of ‘place’ is to emphasize or bring back the history of the site. Kilburn High street has had a long history, however little of this is shown in the actual place. One moment of which this is shown is a metal tile that has the date of the first kilburn bridge engraved on it and inserted into the pavement of the pedestrian walkway. However, there is only very little of such hints of Kilburn’s history.
The history of Kilburn engraved on a metal tile inserted into the pavements of the walkway.
Refer to : ‘Inclusive Mobility’, ‘The Principles of Inclusive Design’ and ‘Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces (1999)’
This idea is carried on further by translating the visuals of kilburn, into a set of abstracted tile, on which programs inspired by the history of the site is reintroduced into the masterplan - the present and the pass amalgamating into a new future.
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W Shared Space
Shared space is an urban design approach that minimises the segregation between modes of road user. This is done by removing features such as kerbs, road surface markings, traffic signs and traffic lights. Hans Monderman have suggested that, by creating a greater sense of uncertainty and blurring who has priority, drivers will reduce speed whilst driving, reducing the dominance of vehicles and hence road casualty rates. This concept is opposed in particular by organizations representing the interests of the disabled for it may give rise to the opposite effect. When speculating what the future highstreet can be, it is imperative that a new structure of the street is introduced, or at least a new way of inhabiting the street
In the UK, one of the most prominent example is Exhibition Road. Although the physical distinction between road and pedestrian walkway have been rid of, the structure of the street remains the
same.
Linearity and hierarchy between road, pavements and buildings
S
B
S
R linearity
B
B
S
R
3D space
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X
New highstreet system
A new kind of highstreet system is then proposed - ‘Unispace’ concept. A ‘tabula rasa’ of the highstreet to uproot the preconceived notions of what streets should look like. By re-arranging the basic components of the street and treating the space as a whole unit freed from any structure, rather than a linear hierarchy.
Basic toolkit for reinterpreting the street Key component
buildings
pavement of sorts
1
connection
nature
2
3
S
B
4 R linearity
S
B
B
S
R
3D space
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Y
Softer elements of a street
Could there be a new way to look at what streets can offer? Can it be a field? A park? A pool? A lake? What makes a highstreet a highstreet? If circulation is taken out of the equation, what other values would the highstreet hold?
Together with the revised structure, the new highstreet would focus on the non physical â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;softerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; elements of a place - the experiential aspect as opposed to the practicality of it. What should the new highstreet feel like since its no longer under the constraints of the standard hierarchy + structure, and dominance of either party (motorists vs pedestrians)? Kilburn Slow Street focuses on the idea of deceleration. The new highstreet being a place to unwind and relax after the fast paced day at work, a modern respite in the middle of the city. Deceleration explored in 3 different aspects: 1. Physical deceleration 2. Mental deceleration 3. Social acceleration as a result of the above two points
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Z Possibilities
This document presents only a selected array of interpreted research and findings relating to ‘street’, and suggestions as to how the future highstreet could be. Current documents have found themselves stuck in a loop, criticising small issues but neglecting the bigger problems. ‘A-Z guide to streets’ does not present a definitive solution, but rather suggests a possibility. Read together with the projects Re:imagining Alexandra and The Kilburn Slow Street, will provide deeper insights into how the issues raised can be re-looked at.
underground carparking
overlooking for security
split level routes
access to upper ground level highstreet element
Kilburn Slow Street A story through a play of scales
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Main literature
Main documents excluding written articles, publications, journals
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